Jiang arrives in Hong Kong amid tight security

Amid the protests there was also a pro-Beijing rally

HONG KONG, China -- Amid tight security Chinese President Jiang Zemin has arrived in Hong Kong where he is scheduled to give the opening address to a meeting of international business and political leaders.

Protesters from a range of groups plan to disrupt Jiang's two-day visit. More than 100 Falun Gong practitioners staged a demonstration ahead his arrival Tuesday lunchtime.

The Hong Kong Special Administration Region's Chief Executive, Tung Chee Hwa, greeted Jiang on the tarmac amid a sea of waving red flags.

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There was more flag waving and lion dancing at a special patriotic parade organized to coincide with the Chinese President's first visit in three years.

Audio CNN's Dalton Tanonaka with the Asian midday market report. 1.15MB/1 min 49 sec AIFF or WAV sound

On Tuesday evening local time Jiang will address the Fortune Global Forum -- a meeting of some 700 international business and political leaders.

However, a number of groups have announced plans to use the visit as an occasion to air grievances over China's human rights record and what they say is growing pressure on the Hong Kong government to toe Beijing's line.

To deal with the anticipated protests Hong Kong security officials have deployed some 3,000 police in and around the territory's convention center, the venue for the three-day Forum.

That compares with just 2,000 officers assigned to cover events surrounding the handover from British colonial rule in mid-1997.

On Monday seven men were arrested outside the forum venue after chaining themselves to a flagpole protesting for increased democracy in China.

'Evil cult'

Jiang's visit is being seen by the Falun Gong as a rare opportunity for members to try to take their message to the Chinese president on Chinese soil.

Falun Gong are using Jiang's visit to draw attention to a "brutal crackdown"

The group, which Beijing has outlawed as an "evil cult", is tolerated in Hong Kong, which has separate laws from the mainland.

Observers say the planned protests could pose one of the most serious challenges to date to Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status under Chinese rule.

Human rights groups and Falun Gong officials say immigration officials have barred at least 90 Falun Gong practitioners from entering Hong Kong in recent days in an effort to stop them from joining the protests.

Among those barred from entering the territory are nationals from the United States, Australia and Taiwan.

The Fortune Global Forum is organized by Fortune magazine, a unit of AOL Time Warner. CNN is also a division of AOL Time Warner.

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